Piano.



No. 693,885. Patented Feb. 25, I902. F. v. NEUVILLE.

PIANO.

(Application filed May 24, 1900.)

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-$heet I.

M T w WITNESSES ATTOHNEYJ F. V; NEUVILLE.

PIANO.

(Applicatiun filed May 24, 1900.)

(No Model.)

Patented Feb. 25, I902.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

WITNESSES: I w

TNVET TO ATTORNEYS UNIT STATE PATENT QFFIC FRANK VICTOR NEUVILLE, OFNEWV YORK, N. Y.

PIANO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 693,885, dated February25, 1902.

I Application filed May 24, 1900, Serial No. 17,792. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.- I

Be it known that I, FRANK VICTOR NEU- VILLE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of 805 East One Hundred and Fortyseventh street,New York city, county of New York, and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Pianos, of which the following isa specification, reference being .had to the accompanying drawings,forrninga part thereof, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts.

This invention relates to improvementsin pianos; and the. object thereofis to provide a durable and cheaply-constructed instrument of thischaracter which embodies features of utility and general effectiveness.

The invention will be hereinafter fully described, and specifically setforth in the annexed claims.

In the accompanyingdrawings,forming part of this specification, Figure 1is a vertical sectional elevation of myimproved piano, taken onalinexwof Fig. 2; Fig, 2, asectional elevation taken on a line y. y of Fig.1; Fig.3, a sectional plan View taken on a lines 2 of Fig. 2. Fig.- 4isa top view of apiano embodying my improved back with the top openedbackward.

In the practice of my invention I use a string-plate A, which embodiesthe integrallyformed lower ribbed portion A and the solid wrest-plank AThis plate is composed of aluminium, and its lower ribbed and openworkpart A may be made in any suitable adapted design, having aperturesthrough which the bridges B which are secured to the sounding-board B,may pass, the parts all being cast together to form a homogeneousstructure. The wrest-plank A is extended rearwardly of the plate, andangular side flanges A are also extended rearwardly and around the sidesand bottom of the plate to receive the sounding-board B, whereby arecess 1 is formed between the plate and sounding-board to allow of freemovement and escape of the waves of sound in an upward di-- rection. Thesounding-board B is secured to the flanges A of the plate A by means ofscrews b, and a flexible washer b is placed around each screw to preventvibrations of the plate from communicating with the soundin g-board.These screws thread into the rearwardly-extended flange B of thesoundingboard B, which extends all around the sounding-board tostrengthen the same.

,As a means for securing the plate A within the piano-casing O lugs care extendedthe piano casing by means of screws 0 These end frames 0 ofthe piano-casing are of novel construction and embody, respectively,solid wooden uprights O and crossbeams G which are doweled or secured toeach other in any suitable manner, whereby a strong structure isprovided, and held in place by means of the plate A, which owing to theintegral formation of its several parts forms a strong brace. Asuitablecross-beam C is also employed in the construction of the casing and alsothe usual feet 0 The outside of each end frame 0 is covered by means ofsuitably-ornamented panels D, and the front ofthe casing is covered bythe usual openwork wall D and the bottom wall D The back of the pianoembodies a single wooden plate E, which engages grooves e in the endframes 0, whereby the back can be readily removed to afford facility forgetting at the interior middle back of the piano should it becomenecessary to clean or repair that part of the instrument.

On the top of the piano-casing is a hinged lid F, which is hollow toallow of free pas sage of the waves of sound over the top of thewrest-plank. This lid has an open-work front wall f to allow thesound-waves to escape in a forward direction.

The lower portion A of the string-plate A is provided withintegrally-formed tail-bridges a and a, and the upper portion isprovided with the upper bridges a and a and with the holes a and d forreceiving keys to string the treble and bass strings, respectively, inthe usual and Well-known manner.

In the operation and use of my invention, the parts being properlyassembled, as illustrated in the drawings, I have a strong structurewhich is cheaply constructed and durable and the quality of the tone isconsiderably improved, the structure being such that the waves of soundare not interfered with and the necessity of placing the piano against awall being obviated. To'further facilitate movement of the waves ofsound, I cut apertures B through the sounding-board B,which allows thesound-Waves to pass forwardly and backwardly into the hollow lid F toescape through the front wall thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a piano, the combination, of the integrally-formed wrest-plank andstring-plate, having angular flanges A extending rearwardly therefrom, asounding-hoard having apertures B therethrough, to allow waves of soundto pass around the plate, the board having a flange around the edge ofits rear surface and being secured by screws threaded into this flange,and the washers surrounding said screws, to prevent direct contact ofthe board with the plate; with the end frames 0, substantially as shownand described.

2. The combination with the frame of a piano, and the sounding-board andstring-plate thereof of the removable backboard E, adapted to slide inthe grooves e and by easy removal, to afford facility for reaching theinterior back of the piano, substantially as shown and described.

3. In apiano, the combination and arrange ment. of the string-plate A,the soundingboard B, the angular flanges A the screws 1), and washers b,by which a recess is formed between the string-plate, and thesoundingboard, the sounding-board prevented from coming into contactwith the string-plate, and the vibrating area of the sounding-boardenlarged, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a piano, the combination, of the integrally-formed aluminiumwrest-plank and string-plate, having angular flanges A extendingrearwardly therefrom, a soundingboard having apertures B therethrough,to allow waves of sound to pass around the plate, the board having aflange around the edge of its rear surface and being secured by screwsthreaded into this flange, and the washers surrounding said screws, toprevent direct contact of the board with the plate; with the end frames0, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname, in presence of two witnesses, this 21st day of May, 1900.

FRANK VICTOR NEUVILLE.

Witnesses:

A. V. ll/ICLEAN, M. F. KELLY.

